The Boat That Grounded Offshore
by Atkar
Summary: The sequel to The Boat That Rocked. James, Jessie and Meowth are making a new life together and everything's perfect - but how long can it last? Have they really escaped Team Rocket? Has the world they left behind truly let them go? (Rocketshipping)
1. Chapter 1

**The Boat That Grounded Offshore**

**_A Rocketshipping Fanfic – A SEQUEL_**

**Part One**

Jessie ran her fingers through her hair, the strands ending just above her shoulders, enjoying the silky feeling that trailed across her skin. She gazed out from the port, her blue eyes following the ferry as it neared the island.

She stood at the head of the dock where concrete pavement met wooden planks, her sandal-clad feet feeling the sea breeze as it rolled in, an icy breath chilling her skin.

It had been over a year and a half since Alphonse had turned her life upside down, just more than a year and half since James had moved back into her life.

And winter was here again.

Winters on the island were harsh with the ocean on all sides, wrapping the islanders in a sphere of coldness that couldn't be thawed until spring returned the next year.

Jessie blinked up at the grey sky, grateful that the rains had halted for now and that the snows hadn't come yet.

She brushed back her hair again, getting slightly irritated with her overgrown fringe that insistently fell across her eyes. She was planning on getting it cut at the weekend, though she favoured the shoulder-length now and wished to keep it as so. _Just need to get rid of this goddamn fringe. _

Brushing her hair away again, Jessie didn't notice the person behind her until a warm breath swept across the back of her neck.

Startling, she turned and met the green eyes of the blue-haired man. She smiled. "You're finally here."

He grinned sheepishly. "Sorry, work kept me." Once James had settled into his new life on the island, still living in the apartment underneath hers, he had begun to search for a job. It wasn't long before he found one – a librarian in the island's large library. Thinking back to the person she had known, Jessie found it difficult to imagine James peacefully walking the aisles, replacing hardbacks and speaking hushed to the islanders that visited. But thinking again, she couldn't imagine him doing anything else.

Both of them looked out at the ferry, the incoming vessel calling out with a throaty horn across the murky waters.

"Do you think she enjoyed herself?" James wondered.

Jessie nodded. "Of course she did. This was the first time she had left the island. To her, she was stepping out into the world."

James eyes darkened slightly. "Do you think she's alright though?"

"This is Lisa," she smiled at him. "You don't need to worry."

Lisa's aunt had passed away a month ago, the disease she had long suffered with finally taking its toll. Lisa had constantly cared for her aunt – the only family she had left since her parents died in an accident when she was young. Her aunt's death had hit her hard, but after seriously thinking of what she could do, Lisa decided that she would leave the island. She wanted to see the world that the people she was close to had seen. She wanted to do something she couldn't do when her aunt was alive. She needed to separate herself from the empty home that haunted her.

Lisa and Jessie had been close for a long time, but since James had returned the three of them had become a close-knit unit – a family – and all of them cherished it.

Jessie and James waited at the docks for the ferry to roll in, waiting like parents waited for their child to return home.

Jessie couldn't stand it. She started to shift her weight from foot to foot, wringing her hands together, clasping them together, curling and uncurling her fingers.

Warm hands encircled hers, stopping her nervous movements. "Hey," James said softly. "You said not to worry, right?"

She sighed, relaxing the tension in her shoulders that she hadn't realized was there. "I know, I know, it's just…"

James nodded, knowing what she meant. They both felt it. _Was Lisa truly alright? Had her trip to the mainland gone well? Was she really on the ferry? _

Jessie pulled one of her hands from James' hold and pushed back her hair again. _I really feel like a worrying mother – when did it get like this? _She pursed her lips.

James raised an eyebrow at her.

She looked away, back out at the ferry which was surprisingly near the end of the dock. She could see a man standing at the bow, a rope in his hands.

Jessie's eyes kept flicking side to side, figure to figure, person to person, trying to see Lisa's silhouette on the ferry's deck.

As the ferry docked, tourists and returning islanders started to emerge from inside where they had taken shelter from the cold, harsh sea wind, moving quickly, shoes clacking on the wooden planks. Glancing at James, she saw that he wore the same expression she did, his green eyes watchful of the crowd.

Both of their faces broke into bright smiles as the figure of the young girl stepped out from the crowd, her own smile wide and happy, arms outstretched as she ran to them, her bag forgotten on the ground.

Jessie and James took the girl in their arms, laughing at her as she babbled in their ears about how she was happy to be back, about how this year's winter seemed colder than all the rest, about how she'd had the most amazing time ever.

James released Lisa, moving away to retrieve her fallen bag, lifting it with a huff, obviously surprised by its weight. _She's probably brought half the mainland back with her. _

Jessie held the girl close, grateful for her warmth. She had been scared that she would be waiting at this dock, the person she longed to see never stepping off the ferry, only to be left still waiting as the ferry cast off – a woman abandoned on the island's shore. _But not this time. Everyone I want is here. And nothing could be better._

**_-#-_**

James heaved the bag into the living room, dropping it heavily onto the sofa beside Meowth. "What the hell did you bring home with you?" he called out to the girl who was with Jessie in the kitchen, her constant stream of words uninterrupted since she came off the ferry.

At his voice, she finally stopped, her head popping out around the door. "I brought gifts!" she cried out happily.

"Gifts?" he repeated, incredulously.

"You don't need to look like that." She moved past him, unzipping the bag to reveal it bursting with clothes and items wrapped in various coloured plastic bags. Meowth buried his head in the discarded pile, demanding his own present.

Jessie stepped out from the kitchen, a steaming mug in her hands. Looking at it, James said, "Hey, where's my drink?"

"You wanted one?" Lisa glanced up at him.

His jaw shifted. "Well, no…"

"Exactly." She dove into her bag, unearthing piles of clothes and disturbing whatever system of packing there had been. _Though it looks like she just threw everything in at the last minute. _

"It's the required skills of a good host – to ask all guests if they wish for a drink."

"Yes, yes…." She murmured distractedly, searching the contents of her bag for something. "Here!" she suddenly called out, digging out a purple plastic bag and offering it to James.

"This is yours." She grinned.

He looked over at Jessie. She was leaning against the wall, watching them over her hot drink, a laughing smile on her lips. Catching her eye, he raised an eyebrow and her smile grew. "Go on," she mouthed, motioning with a jerk of her head for him to take the gift.

He turned back to the girl and took the purple package with a mumbled, "Thanks."

Opening the plastic bag, he reached in and pulled out something wrapped in white paper. "Oh, why, thank you."

Lisa groaned. "Not the paper! Look inside."

With a hearty laugh James carefully tore open the paper, revealing a Swiss Army Knife. He blinked at it. He looked up at Lisa.

"You said you'd always wanted one." She looked like she now doubted her choice of gift.

"Is this a real one?"

She nodded, studying his expression. Meowth peeked out from the pile of clothing that he had buried himself in, bright eyes glowing from the shadows also examining his face.

"This must have cost yo-"

She leapt forwards, grabbing his arm. "If it's just the price you're worried about – don't!"

He sighed after a moment. Then his lopsided grin returned. "Then thank you." He leaned forwards and kissed the girl's forehead.

James watched Lisa joyfully punch the air in celebration of "a gift well chosen" and then rush back to her bag, routing around for Jessie's present.

He couldn't keep the contented smile from his face. He had never been this happy. He felt _perfect_. _Everything I want is here and nothing could be better. _

* * *

**_A/N_**

**Due to popular demand, the story is continuing. And to be honest, I didn't want to leave it there either so you guys gave me the push to write this! **

**As I have both this and my yumikuri fanfiction - ****_and_**** University - the updates may be slow but please be patient. **

**Thank you! And hope you enjoy the story.**

**Atkar**


	2. Chapter 2

**The Boat That Grounded Offshore**

**_A Rocketshipping Fanfic – A SEQUEL_**

**Part Two**

The former Team Rocket trio had fallen asleep on Lisa's sofa, her bag and all its contenst still strewn between them, Meowth snoring contently amongst a pile of clothing.

When the sun shone through the kitchen window, glowing the apartment orange, James awoke with a jaw-clicking yawn.

Meowth's ear twitched in response but the cat remained undisturbed as James lifted himself up, sitting on the edge of the sofa, rubbing his eyes with the heels of his hands.

Glancing over at the sleeping red head made a smile spread warmly across his lips. Her shoulder-length hair was a mess of vivid colour, the fringe that irritated her so much laying across her eye, hiding half her face but not concealing the beauty that shone clearly from her fine features.

_How did I ever doubt this feeling?_

James leaned across the sofa, reaching out with a hand to gentle caress the woman's cheek with the back of his fingers. She mumbled at his touch and he chuckled lightly.

When her eyelids fluttered, he quickly withdrew his hand but continued to watch her with the same expression.

Opening her eyes, Jessie's gaze immediately found James' and she lifted herself up from the lax sitting position she'd slept in. She groaned, wincing as she straightened out her back. Once comfortable, she looked at James once more.

"What's with the face?" Her voice was a whisper.

"What face?" he returned, his voice just as quiet.

She motioned with a nod of her head at him. "_That_ face."

He laughed and rose from the sofa, lifting his arms above his head in a stretch. "Just watching your sleeping face."

Jessie jumped slightly, leaning forwards with a look of dismay. "My sleeping face?!" she hissed in an embarrassed whisper.

He grinned down at her. "You looked quite beautiful."

Without waiting for her reaction, James moved away, walking into the kitchen, removing the kettle from its base to fill it in the sink.

**_-#-_**

Her face was burning. _It's definitely burning. Yep, my face is definitely on fire. _

Jessie pressed her hands against her cheeks, trying to cool the blush that flared across them. _Damn you James, catching me off guard the minute I wake up. _

She felt someone's eyes on her and she looked up to find Meowth watching her with a curious expression from beneath Lisa's clothes.

Jessie abruptly stood, clapping her hands together. "Right!" she said to herself, forcing herself to come to her senses. _I'm no high school girl now! _

She spun on her heel and disappeared into the bathroom, shutting the door behind her with a sense of finality.

**_-#-_**

Meowth sat on the kitchen table, licking his paws clean with fine movements, his eyes focused on the blue haired man holding a steaming mug of tea, smiling at the young Lisa beside him.

Interrupting their morning chatter, Meowth called out, "'ey, I never got my present."

Lisa looked at him. Then her face cracked into a sly grin. "Oh? You still want a present?"

Meowth took an immediate disliking to the girl's tone and his fur bristled. "Yeah…" he continued uncertainly. "Yeah, I do."

The girl sauntered out of the kitchen and Jessie stepped in, glancing over her shoulder at the girl. "What's going on?"

"Lisa's getting Meowth's gift."

Jessie turned to the Pokémon with an expression that looked close to laughter. "Right, I see."

"Don't make fun of me!" The cat exclaimed, his tail standing tall.

Lisa returned carrying a small brown paper bag. She stood in front of Meowth and rested the bag before him. She reached in with a slender hand and then stopped. "Close your eyes."

"Huh?"

"Just do it."

With a huff, the cat did as he was told.

He listened to the rustle of paper and then a warm sensation wrapped around his neck, the girl's cool hands brushing against his fur.

"Okay, you can open them now."

Opening his eyes, Meowth looked down at himself. Wrapped loosely around his throat was a small, red knitted scarf - the perfect size for the cat Pokémon, as if it was made just for him.

He cautiously touched it with his paws, unsure whether it was truly his. He had never had something like this. _Never. _

He looked up at Lisa. "Mine?" he croaked out.

The girl's sly smile had long gone and was replaced with a look of pure joy and caring. "Of course it is."

The cat blinked furiously, looking back down at the scarf at his neck, trying to hide the tears that had suddenly formed at the corners of his eyes. He sniffed.

"'hank you." He said.

Soft laughter made him glance up and he saw Jessie and James stood beside each other, leaning against the kitchen counter. Their arms were touching and they looked every bit like parents watching their children. The idea unnerved Meowth a bit. _I ain't no kid. I'm their friend. Their partner. _But he knew that wasn't what the look in their eyes meant. The room was almost choking with the feeling of perfect happiness.

And Meowth didn't like it.

**_-#-_**

A week passed since Lisa had returned home and everything had resumed normality. The trio had left Lisa to her own devices, James returning to his apartment next door, Jessie to hers upstairs, Meowth moving between the two.

Jessie went to her job at the bar every night and James went to his at the library. Lisa had started to pack up her aunt's things that she had tidied away into the corner of her bedroom, taking out large black bags every now and again.

James extended himself to his full height to place a paperback detailing the patterns of bird Pokémon migration on the top shelf. He moved on to the next aisle.

Once he found the next place, he glanced down at the thin book in his hand, flicking through the pages with a thumb. This one focused on the art of living in the wild. It was printed in a scruffy font to resemble handwriting, and sketches denoting helpful steps or humorous cartoons decorated the margins.

James dropped the book back on the trolley he pushed in front of him. _Might as well read it during my lunch break_.

He continued moving among the bookshelves, sometimes humming under his breath, replacing books to their designated slots between others.

As he rounded the corner of the final aisle, he spotted a man stood at the main desk.

The man was dressed in jeans and a t-shirt that appeared to not have seen a washer in some time, his boots caked in mud, his black hair sleek with sweat, plastered against his forehead. _Why is he dressed like that in this cold?_

James twisted his mouth, frowning at the trail of dirt the man had left behind him, all the way from the front door to the desk.

With a sigh, James pushed the trolley over to the man, halting at his side. The man didn't seem to hear his approach and James had to tap him on the shoulder before he turned to face him.

"How can I help you?" James asked with a smile.

The man stared at him. It was then that James noticed how _large_ the man was. He easily towered over James and his shoulders were broad, muscles straining under his sweat-stained, dusty t-shirt.

James maintained the smile. "Are you alright?"

The man continued to stare.

The man carried an air of quiet insanity, his entire being seething with something unspeakable underneath the surface. The man's eyes blinked slowly. His unwavering gaze unsettled James.

James searched the man's eyes for something, a sign of recognition but he only proved to gain a terrifying chill that breathed down his spine.

The man's eyes were black. Pure black, as dark as the farthest corners of space, as deep as the swallowing black holes that dotted the darkness.

James looked away, unable to maintain eye contact for too long. He swallowed.

"Would you like to take out a book?" he asked, his voice lower than before.

The man shifted. _It's like a mountain swaying…_

"Yeah…" the man's voice was like the earth, grating and gravelly, deep and throaty. "Is there maps?"

"Maps?" James had taken to staring at the man's forehead, strangely fascinated with the beads of sweat that steadily rolled down his face. "What maps would you like?"

"Maps of the island." Came the reply, like a roaring train in a long tunnel, the sound echoing from a great distance, low yet shaking the ground you stood on.

"Sure thing," James turned, outstretching a hand to wave towards the back of the library. "They're this way."

James started to walk in the direction that he had pointed to, only pausing to glance over his shoulder to see the bear of a man following a few paces behind.

"You a tourist?" he asked, hoping to lift the incredibly tense atmosphere that had begun to swarm around them like a suffocating fog. "I haven't seen you before."

"Suppose." A curt reply.

James didn't try again at starting a conversation.


	3. Chapter 3

**The Boat That Grounded Offshore **

**_Rocketshipping – Sequel_**

**_Part Three_**

The door opened and footsteps approached the bar. Jessie placed the glass of foamy beer on the counter, the gruff old man before her taking it after dropping a few coins into her palm. She turned to the new customer and the smile on her face grew.

"James!" she moved down the bar and crossed her arms on the counter, leaning against it. "What are you doing here?"

The blue haired man shrugged. "I just fancied a drink after work."

"And what drink would that be?"

"Surprise me." He smiled, sitting down on one of the barstools.

"Right." She pushed away from the counter and bent down to choose a bottle of beer from the small fridge underneath the bar.

She placed it before him, cold drops of condensation running down the glass to gather on the scratched varnished wood around it. She reached for the bottle opener and snapped the top off, pushing the bottle towards him.

As she went to throw the cap into the small bucket provided, a hand moved and she saw James shift on the barstool.

"Hm?" she said, glancing over at him.

"Would it be alright if…if I have that?"

_The bottle cap? _"This?" she raised it, holding it between her index and middle fingers. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, I've started to collect them."

A shiver trembled down her spine and her breath halted. "Collect them? Since when?"

"Not too long ago." He took the cap from her and pocketed it.

Jessie eyed him, waiting for something more but James just looked up at her with a questioning expression. "Something wrong?"

She shook her head. "No, no…" she turned to the man who had walked up to the bar. "What can I get you?"

"Another of these, please." He muttered, waving an empty glass at her.

She nodded with a smile and went to take a clean glass from the shelves behind the bar. _Collecting bottle caps? But…but that's what he did before, isn't it? Before the coma, before he lost his memories. Does this mean…? _

Jessie jerked herself out of her thoughts. She couldn't think like this. James was James, no one else. _He wants to collect bottle caps, so let him. It doesn't have to mean anything._ But it did mean something. And Jessie couldn't shake that feeling away.

After taking the dirty glass from the man and exchanging the new for a small handful of coins, Jessie returned to standing before James.

The bottle was at his lips, his long fingers curled around the tinted glass. Seeing her attention return to him, James lowered the bottle to the counter.

"Where's Meowth today?" he asked.

She thought back to how the cat Pokémon had disappeared down the road that morning, his tail held high as he dashed along the pavement. "I think he went to the park."

"The park…?" James mumbled, moving his beer around in small circles, trailing wet lines of condensation on the bar.

"Hey," she called lightly, making James look up to meet her eyes. "It's Lisa's birthday soon. What do you think we should do?"

His mouth twisted. "Get her out of her apartment at least."

She nodded. "She doesn't need to be reminded that her aunt isn't there. But that's not what I meant – what should we get her? As a present."

James waved his hand in the air. "You'd know more than me about that kind of thing."

Jessie sighed. "James."

He halted the twirling bottle and set it down firmly on the counter. "She has her Vulpix, right?"

"Yeah."

"What about another Pokémon friend?" he smiled, leaning forwards. "Would she want that?"

Jessie blinked, surprised. "A Pokémon?"

James' smile faltered. "You don't think it's a good idea?"

"No," she shook her head. "That's a brilliant idea!"

James' face lit up. "So what should we get her?"

Jessie thought about it. _What would Lisa like most? _"It needs to a Pokémon that will get on with her Vulpix."

James raised a hand to rub his neck, his chin lifting slightly to the left. "Will we find it on the island or shall I go to the mainland?"

Something in Jessie froze, like a shard of ice in her chest. "The mainland."

Green eyes shone, watching her, brow furrowed. "No?"

"The mainland is our best bet." She hated it but she couldn't escape the fact that the island wasn't exactly overpopulated with various types of Pokémon. If they truly wanted to get a present that would fit Lisa perfectly, one of them would have to go to the mainland.

"I'll go." She declared.

James' eye twitched. "You should stay here." His arm stretched across the bar and his fingertips grazed her skin. "Trust me, okay? I'll be back on the next ferry. Present in tow."

"It's not that I don't trust you…" she murmured. Her mind was focusing on the slight heat from his fingers on her arm, so incredibly aware of his touch. She straightened, crossing her arms, moving away so his hand couldn't reach. "A week?"

"A week." He confirmed.

And so Thursday came around and Jessie stood at the end of the dock, standing beside James as he held onto his small suitcase, a smile on his lips, his face half hidden in the shadows of a cowboy hat.

Meowth was on his shoulders, claws digging into him, probably ripping at his pale blue shirt and ruining it. The cat Pokémon had demanded to go with James and the man hadn't resisted. Jessie couldn't shake the sense of loneliness that was growing in his chest as she bid her final farewells to the two as they stepped abroad the ferry.

"A week?" she called after them.

He nodded, that gentle smile of his easing her worries only for a moment. "A week."

**_-#-_**

The mainland was forming in the distance, the shoreline appearing from the mist that reached down from the sky.

James' eyes were dark as he gazed out across the water. _I didn't think I would ever be going back_. He had planned to fully avoid the city that he had met Alphonse and Jaime in but the mainland held the past as a whole, every inch of the trodden earth whispering secrets and haunting him.

Sharp pain dug into his shoulder and he glanced to his right to see Meowth once again clinging on to him. "You're gonna fall." He commented.

"No, I won't." the cat replied.

"Of course you won't." James turned back at the mainland.

It all had happened so fast. One moment he was at work, helping that strange man with maps of the island, the next drinking a beer at Jessie's workplace, then the discussion about Lisa's birthday led to this. _No, it didn't. I pushed that conversation to this. I brought up the Pokémon, I brought up the mainland. I was the one who suggested it. _

James tugged his hat further down over his eyes. _Idiot. _

He had regretted his words the moment he saw the expression on Jessie's face. She had looked stunned, concerned,_ scared_. And it bothered him. He didn't want to hurt her anymore and he had let the words slip out without thinking.

_Just a week. I'll be back in a week. I'll have Lisa's present and Jessie will be waiting for me when I return. Everything will be fine. _

"'ave you got any ideas?"

"What?" James looked at Meowth.

"For Lisa's present." The cat didn't look amused at the man's absentminded expression. "Any ideas wha' Pokémon ya gettin'?"

"Ah, um..." he looked away sheepishly. "I actually don't."

Meowth didn't look amused at all.

**_-#-_**

Two days had passed since James and Meowth had left for the mainland. Jessie had told Lisa that they had simply gone on a short trip, wishing for the present to be a complete surprise. The girl hadn't doubted her and instead offered to spend more time with her, knowing that Jessie would be lonely on her own.

Jessie was grateful for the girl's company, but she knew that she wasn't the only one that felt lonely.

That night the two of them had sat on the sofa in Jessie's apartment, Lisa's head resting on Jessie's shoulder as they watched a film. The television flickered colours across the floor, spiralling dull and bright in the dark room.

"Hey, Jessie…" the girl mumbled.

"Yeah?" she shifted, sinking deeper down in the comfort of the sofa.

"Can I stay here tonight?" Lisa's voice was so quiet that Jessie strained to hear her over the sounds of the film, but she did hear her and what she heard in that question constricted her throat. Her breath hitched and she held the girl closer, wrapping her arm around her shoulders.

"You okay?" she asked in a whisper.

Lisa simply shook her head. Jessie turned the volume up on the television and then wrapped her other arm around the girl. "It's alright," she said. "You can stay for as long as you want."

Only a few moments past before the girl's body trembled and the sounds of stifled sobs echoed in Jessie's ears. _I wish James was here. He would know what to say. _

Jessie closed her eyes, resting her head atop Lisa's. _Even the strongest have to cry at some point. _

The film continued, flashing in the room as the two drifted, Lisa's tears dragging her into a fitful sleep, a cloak of sudden exhaustion falling over them both.

_Even the strongest can break._


	4. Chapter 4

**The Boat That Grounded Offshore**

**Part Four**

The town was a small settlement at the bottom of a large valley, hidden beneath high hills and peaking mountains, dotted dark green with the forests that surrounded it.

While in the middle of nowhere, it was a prime location for wild Pokémon and numerous Pokémon trainers and researchers visited the town each summer. As it was now winter, it was quieter than usual but still the Pokémon Centre bustled with people.

Meowth stretched, muscles in his legs popping and clicking. Yawning, he spoke up to James who sat beside him on the bench, "It's mornin'."

"I know."

James was gazing out across the large room, his green eyes flicking person to person, analysing them and the Pokémon beside them. They were still no closer to deciding on Lisa's present and they had left the island four days ago.

"Jessie will kill me if we return with nothing." James sighed. "Hey, you're a Pokémon, shouldn't you have a better idea of what Lisa and her Vulpix would like?"

"Ya've asked me t'at a 'undred times already." The cat frowned.

James' head rolled back, another sigh heaving his chest. After a moment, he lifted his head, leaning back on his arms, hands on the bench. His eyes once more roamed the room.

Suddenly his eyes stalled and he straightened. "Meowth…"

"Ya…?" the cat yawned again.

He jerked his chin in the direction of something and Meowth followed his gaze. "A Jolteon?"

"What does a Jolteon evolve from?" James' eyes were sparkling, a grin on his lips.

"An Eevee." Meowth's lips pulled back from his fangs in a smile.

"Let's go!" James stood, raising a clenched fist high in triumph.

Receiving frowning stares and curious glances but ignoring them, James strode out of the Pokémon Centre, Meowth clinging onto his shoulder.

**_-#-_**

Jessie was serving breakfast, placing a pile of pancakes before Lisa on the kitchen table. The girl had stayed over at Jessie's since their movie night and both of them were glad of the company.

"Thanks!" the girl exclaimed, gripping knife and fork in hand and digging in. Her hair was a tangled mess atop her head, her pyjama top half hanging off her shoulder.

Jessie raised an eyebrow at Lisa's dishevelled look. "Shouldn't you have a shower today?"

"Huh?" the girl spoke around a mouthful of pancake. She waved a fork at Jessie. "After this, after this."

Jessie couldn't help but laugh as the pancakes disappeared rapidly and Lisa stood, taking the cleared plate to the sink.

"I'll do that. You go and have a shower – _now_." Jessie ordered, playfully pushing her away from the sink and into the direction of the bathroom.

Jessie started washing the plate and cutlery, a small smile still lingering on her lips. _This must be the feeling a mother gets, right? _She shook her head slightly and slotted the washed plate into place on the drainer beside the sink, dropping the cutlery beside it.

She took the damp dishcloth and turned to the table, cleaning down the surface, the sounds of the shower coming from the bathroom. As Jessie straightened, returning the dishcloth to its designated spot beside the tap, a knock at the front door startled her, causing the dishcloth fall from her hand, sending a splatter of lukewarm water upwards into her face.

Agitated, Jessie wiped her face dry and rushed to answer the door. _Is it Dia? What's she doing around here in the morning? _

However as she unlocked the door and peered through the small gap at the guest Jessie immediately knew that it wasn't Dia.

"How can I help you?" she asked the stranger quietly.

The man shifted, soulless black eyes gazing down at her, his brow slightly furrowed, his jaw set and rigid as his lips moved in reply. "Jessica?"

The red head opened the door a little more to get a better look at the man before her, her gaze studying the body of what appeared to be more of a bear than a man.

"How can I help you?" she repeated, her tone sterner.

"Lisa."

"Excuse me?" Her eyes flew up to meet the black stare. She gaped openly at the man. "_Lisa_? What do you want with her?"

The man's throaty voice like a machine grating across dry earth was like a razor down her spine. His dark gaze was haunting, his towering body and curt demeanour unsettling. _Whoever he is, he isn't here for anything good._

"She's here?"

The man's expression barely flickered as Jessie swung the door wide and stepped forwards, leaning on the tips of her toes to press her face close to his. "I said _what do you want with her?_"

Behind her the click of the bathroom door opening made Jessie's skin crawl. _Don't come over here. Stay where you are, please, Lisa, please. _But Lisa didn't hear Jessie's frantic prayers and the feeling of the girl's hand touching her shoulder send a spiral of dread churning in her stomach.

Jessie settled back on the heels of her feet, backing off from the man and glanced behind her at Lisa. The girl was holding a towel wrapped around her head in a loose turban with one hand, strands of wet hair escaping and sticking to her pale skin. She wore her scuffed jeans and a washed-out red t-shirt. Lisa caught Jessie's eye and smiled. But then her gaze drifted upwards and her entire face froze.

Jessie watched as the colour drained from the girl's face, her eyes widening, her mouth opening slightly as a broken gasp slipped through her lips. The hand on Jessie's shoulder dropped back to her side.

The girl blinked.

And with one moment, the terrified young girl before Jessie disappeared. That smile returned, Lisa springing forwards, arms wrapped around the red head's neck. "A guest?" she called joyfully.

Jessie stuttered, hands grasping hold of the girl's wrists as her grip tightened. The girl was shaking. She was shaking yet that smile was bright, her eyes shining with the usual carefree glint. _Why…? Lisa, why? _

Jessie turned her attention back to the man at the door. "Here's Lisa," she spoke firm, her expression tense and sure."Did you want her for something?"

At her words, Jessie felt Lisa's shaking body suddenly stall, the arms wrapped around her neck stiff, as the girl waited for the man's answer.

A calloused hand pulled out a scrunched up envelope from his trouser pocket. "Here," the man offered, those onyx eyes stuck on Lisa's face. "A letter for you."

"A letter?" Lisa's voice was still cheerful, that hint of hopeful expectation that was heard when in anticipation of a gift. "Who from?"

"Your aunt."

The silence that followed those two gravelly words crackled and Jessie turned her head to look at the girl hanging on her neck. The joy had vanished from her face and was replaced with a type of quiet contemplation.

_ Why would there be a letter from Lisa's aunt? And why would _this_ man bring it to her? _

Lisa reached out and took the envelope from the man. He nodded and then turned, like an island abruptly moving through the sea, and walked towards the stairs.

"Hey!" Jessie called out after him. "Who are you?"

But the man didn't even glance back and in moments was gone.

**_-#-_**

Meowth stretched out, claws digging into the bark of the tree he had fallen asleep in. "James!" he called out to the man below him. "Somethin' over t'ere."

The blue haired man waved in thanks and moved towards the rustling bush, a Pokéball in hand. Then he stopped and spun around. "You're supposed to be _helping_ me, you damned cat."

With a sigh, the Pokémon leapt down from the tree, landing silently in front of the man. He flicked his tail and turned to the sounds of movement in the undergrowth. "Watch dis."

Then in one fluid movement, Meowth disappeared into the bush, a startled cry ringing through the forest as a Pidgey emerged, trotting backwards on tumbling talons.

_And once again – not an Eevee._

But James didn't hesitate, shouting out for Meowth who dashed forwards, slashing out at the Pidgey with glinting claws. In one swift throw, James sent the Pokéball towards the injured Pidgey.

The duo watched as the Pokéball trembled, glowing, as the Pidgey fought against its capture. But then it stilled.

"Meowth…"

"Aye?"

"We've caught something."

"Aye."

They grinned at each other, James crouching down to give the feline a high five.

After hours and hours of searching the valley, the two had only discovered everything but an Eevee and caught nothing in the process. But now they had another one to the team and the concept of catching an Eevee seemed not as far away as before.

Flashing another half-grin towards Meowth, James retrieved the Pokéball and pointed further into the forest. "Let's go!"

_Once we get dis Eevee and return home, I can't wait to see their faces. Jessie and Lisa are gonna loved dis. _

* * *

**_A/N_**

**I apologize for the massive delay since the last installment but I've been overwhelmed with University work. Am hoping to get back into the swing of things with this story and my Yumikuri fic but it may take some time to get back into the rhythm. **

**As such, you probably can sense a bit of digression from my normal writing tone - if you can call it that - from previous chapters as I struggled to write this chapter due to the great time since writing the previous chapter.**

**But hopefully that doesn't disappoint you guys too much!**

**Let's hope that the wait for the next chapter isn't as long - and thanks for your concern and your constant support! Everything's appreciated!**

**_Atkar_**


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